Before you begin cutting the vegetables, place the mushrooms in a small bowl. Bring 2 cups of the water to a boil and pour over mushrooms. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the other vegetables.

Place the remaining 6 cups water and the bouillon cubes in a large saucepan. Drain the mushrooms in a strainer over a bowl and add their liquid to the souppot. Bring to a simmer. Cut the mushrooms in slivers and add them to the stock, along with white part of the green onions. Simmer 5 minutes and add the tofu. Simmer 5 minutes and stir in the sherry, vinegar, and tamari. Dissolve the cornstarch or arrowroot in the 1/4 cup cold water. Stir into the soup and bring to a gentle boil.

Drizzle the beaten eggs into the boiling soup, stirring with a fork or chopstick so that the egg forms shreds. When the soup becomes clear and slightly thickened, remove frorn the heat. Stir in the pepper (be generous) and adjust vinegar and tamari.

Distribute the carrots, bok choy or celery, and the green onion tops bowls and ladle in the soup. Serve at once, passing additional pepper and vinegar so people can adjust hot and sour to taste.

Ref *Recipe from Fast Vegetarian Feasts (Revised) by Martha Rose Shulman, 1986, Doubleday. *Reprinted in Diet For All Seasons, by Elson M. Haas (Md)